Thread-brake.



No. 799,965. PATENTED' SEPT. 19, 1905. H. A. BATES.

THREAD BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.20,1905.

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THREAD-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed February 20, 1905. Serial No. 246,401.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY A. BATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Thread-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for controlling the paying-off movement of thread from a spool or cop of any description to the machine where the thread is utilized in sewing various articles in the arts and manufactures; and the object of my invention is to prevent a sagging of the thread and to apply a tension as the result of a gentle regulatable friction of the parts, thus preventing a too free movement of the parts as the thread is unwound.

My present invention is an improvement upon the device shown and described in Letters Patent granted to me April 18, 1905, N 0. 787,717.

In connection with a spool or cop of suitable character and the support therefor I employ a standard supported by the spool or cop having an axial member. A wire helix closely but freely surrounds the axial member and is revoluble thereon, a free end of which helix is extended as an arm with an eye termination, through which the thread is led from the spool or cop, and I employ means for applying a gentle and regulatable friction to the helix and prefer that the same shall consist of a disk perforated to pass over longitudinally of the axial member and having a set-screw to secure the same. I also prefer to place the arm of said helix normally at a slight obtuse angle to the axial line ofthe helix, so that when in place there is a slight pressure thereon which produces a friction regulatable by devices hereinafter more fully described.

Similar letters of reference are employed to denote-similar parts.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation representing a spool and the devices of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an elevation representing a cop and the devices of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a wire helix and a form of arm of my invention, and Fig. 4 is also an elevation of a wire helix and a modified form of arm of my invention.

The spool a, Fig 1, or the cop a Fig. 2, each with thread a, may be of any desired or wellknown form or character in the art, 6 representing a base and b a support-pin of the base adapted to enter the spool a in Fig. 1 or a Wooden sleeve 6 which, in Fig. 2, I prefer to employ fitting the cardboard lining or sleeve of the cop a the aperture in said sleeve 72 agreeing in diameter with the aperture of the spool a, so as to receive the support-pin b of the base in carrying the spool or cop.

In the device of my invention, which is adapted to rest upon the spool or cop, the main portion is a standard comprising a disk 0, a hub 0, adapted to pass into the opening of the spool or into the sleeve 6 received in the cop and to be centered thereby, and an axial member 0Z rises above the disk 0 and forms the other portion of the standard. A disk 6 and hub are perforated to pass over the axial member 0Z longitudinally of the same, and this device is provided with a set-screw e, entering the hub portion thereof to secure the disk and the hub to the axial member in any position in which the same may be placed.

f represents a wire helix of a predetermined length adapted to pass freely over the axial member upon the removal of the disk and hub e and which parts are thereafter replaced on the axial member, so as to come against one end of the wire helix, while the other end bears upon the upper surface of the disk 0. The wire helix is provided with a radially-extending arm, which is preferably a continuation or prolongation of one end of the helix, the free end of said arm terminating in an eye and the said arm being of greater length than the radius of the spool or cop, so that the thread of the spool or cop may be passed through the eye and as drawn off cause the rotation of the helix and its arm.

In my aforesaid patent I have shown and described and limited the structure to two of these arms; but I find that while the two arms are preferable in certain classes of work with certain weights of thread only one arm is necessary with finer thread and lighter work. In Fig. 2 I have shown the preferred form of arm f with a slight downward bend over the upper corner of the cop and with the eye 2 at an acute angle to the axial center of the cop. In Fig. l I have shown the arm f with a free end at right angles to the radial part extending out from the helix and with an eye 3 terminating the end of the arm. In Fig. 3 I have shown that this arm f may also, if desired, be formed with an eye 1 at its union with the free end member at right angles IIO thereto, as well as with an eye at the lower free end, thus forming two eyes to the arm.

In Fig. 4 I have shown that the arm f may extend off from the upper end of the helix instead of from the lower end, as shown in Fig. 2; but I do not limit myself to the position or relation of the said arm and helix. I prefer, as shown in Fig. 3, to establish a relation between the helix and the armthat is to say, that the arm is at an obtuse angle with reference to the axis of the helix or slightly greater than a right angle, consequently out of a horizontal plane with reference to the vertical axis of the helix and spool or cop. This provides when the helix is in position on the axial member for a slight tension or pressure of the wire on the upper surface of the disk 0, so as to produce afriction, retarding the revolution of the helix about the axial member, and this friction may be lessened or increased in proportion to the position upon the axial member (Z of the disk and hub a, as a release of pressure on the helix will of course permit the same to revolve more freely, while a compression of the helix will increase the friction and consequent power required to turn the helix about the axial member.

It is of course to be understood that the rotary movement applied to the helix and its arm is imparted by the drawing or payingoif action of the thread from the spool or cop as it is used in sewing, and it is apparent that adjustment of this frictional action may be effected to a nicety to create the proper tension on the thread as it is drawn off, preventing any slack of the thread and applying the proper tension to the sewing.

I claim as my invention 1. A thread-brake for the paying-ofi thread of a spool or c'op, comprising a wire helix, an axial support therefor and about which the helix is revoluble, an arm extending out from and integral with said helix and having an eye for the thread, and means adjustable along the outer surface of and adapted to be held to the axial support for applying a gentle regulatable friction to said helix.

2. Athread-brake, comprisingadisk, a hub adapted to pass into the opening in a spool or cop, an axial member forming a continuation of said disk and hub, a disk and hub provided to pass over the said axial member and means for securing the position of said disk and hub upon the axial member, a wire helix adapted to pass freely over the axial member and to be revoluble thereon, and between said disks, and an arm formed as a continuation of one free end of said helix and having an eye termination for the thread.

3. A threadbrake for the paying-01f thread of a spool or cop, comprising a wire helix, a wire arm forming an integral continuation from one end of said helix and having an eye for the thread, an axis about which said helix may be revolved, a device at one end of said axis forming a friction-surface over which said arm moves and a device adjustable along the outer surface of said axis for applying a pressure to said helix and consequent friction.

Signed by me this 14th day of February, 1905.

HENRY A. BATES.

Witnesses:

WINGATE (J. HOWARD, M. C. MURPHY. 

